Car-coupling.



H. B. REYNOLDS.

CAB. COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1913 Patented Apr. 28, 1914. z SHEETS-SHEET 1 w\ M W o R j Z 60. Y Y

AMA/Mm l j M I H. B. REYNOLDS.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1913.

1,095,029. Patented Apr. 28, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

2 /f m IIV 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY IB. REYNOLDS, 0F FETAL, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-EIGHTH TO S. R. CUHLEY, OF PETAL, MISSISSIPPI, ONE-FOURTH TO JESSIE E. HERMAN, OF HAT- TIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI, AND ONE-HALF TO CHARLES E. BELL, 0E PRENTISS,

MISSISSIPPI.

CAR-COUPLING".

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY B. RE *NoLDs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Petal, in the county of Forrest and State of Mississippi, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in car couplers.

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to construct a car coupler or draw head wherein the employment of the usual coupling pin is entirely dispensed with; the coupling of the knuckles automatic, and the uncoupling of the draw heads operated either by fluid pressure or manually without danger of injury to the operator.

I also aim to provide a draw head with a pivoted knuckle that is sustained in locked position through the medium of a sliding latch engaging with the tail of the knuckle, the said latch being so arranged with relation to the tail of the knuckle, when the knuckle is in an uncoupling or open position as to be within the path of contact of the said tail, the mechanism for actuating the sliding latch at all times exerting a pressure upon the said latch, so that the knuckle cannot, under any ordinary condition, except when engaged by the knuckle of a co-acting draw head, be accidentally swung to a closed or locked position.

I also aim to provide resilient means be tween the tail of the knuckle and the inner chamber of the draw head for automatically swinging the said knuckle to a proper angular position to be engaged with surety by the knuckle of the co-acting draw head, the said spring means also serving as a buffer to absorb the shock incident to the contact of the co-acting knuckle, as well as insuring the knuckle against accidental closing, or against being swung to its closed position by mischievous or nefarious persons.

A still further object of the invention is the provision, in a draw head, of a knuckle engaging latch, the same being arranged for slid-able movement within the draw head, and adapted to be operated by a bit which is arranged upon a revoluble member finds a bearing within the lower wall of the draw head and which projects through a suitable opening in the top of the draw head, means being arranged upon the revoluble member Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 8, 1913.

Patented Apr. 28, 1914. Serial No. 777,896.

for limiting the rotary movement thereof, and the projecting end of the said member being provided with an angularly arranged finger which is provided with suitable openings, any one of which being adapted to receive one of the offset ends of an operating rod that is mounted in bearings upon the end of the car, and the second offset end,

.or handle, of the said rod being weighted so as to automatically move the latch to its knuckle-locking position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means, substantially as stated, which may be readily applied to an ordinary draw head without any material alteration of the said draw head.

A still further object of the invention is the construction of a draw head, substantially as above set forth, which shall embody the desirable features of cheapness in con struction, ease and accuracy in operation,

which is strong and durable, and which will perform the functions for which it is intended withaccuracy and with surety.

Vith the above recited objects in view, and others which will appear as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed, the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and fall.- ing within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing there has been illustrated a simple and preferred embodiment of the improvement reduced to practice, and in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a draw head constructed in accordance with the present invention, the knuckle being shown in its open position, Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken in a plane directly above the knuckle, the knuckle being in a locked position, Fig. 3 is a similar view but illustrating the knuckle in its open position, Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View on the line 44t of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a detail longitudinal sectional view on the line az-aa of Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a detail view of the sliding latch. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the bit showing the same arranged upon the rod.

The draw head, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, is of the ordinary M. C. B. or J anney type and comprises the head 1 and the hollow bar 2. The head is provided with the usual pivoted knuckle 3 which is provided with the usual tail piece +t that is normally retained within the chamher in the head 1.

Both the chamber of the draw head, and the hollow draw bar 2, at the side of the coupler opposite to that provided with the pivoted knuckle are formed at the top and bottom thereof with longitudinall extending plates 5 which form ways for aslidable latch member 6. This latch comprises a substantially rectangular member, having its outer edge at its inner corner, rounded, as at 7, whereby the same will readily give with a minimum amount of friction when contacted by the tail piece 4: of the knuckle 3. The latch 6 may be normally forced to its outward or locking position, through the medium of a spring 8 which is arranged within the bar 2 of the draw head,-but it is to be understood that the employment of the spring 8 is optional, and that the said spring may be entirely dispensed with if desired. The rectangular latch 6 is formed with an elongated slot or opening 9 within which plays a finger or bit 10 which is connected with a rotatable rod 11. The rod 11 projects through both the upper and lower faces of the head 1, the lower portion of the rod being reduced to provide a shoulder which rests upon the lower face of the hollow draw head, and so finds a bearing thereon, the reduced and rounded extension of the rod which projects below the face of the draw head is secured through the medium of a cotter pin 12 or other suitable retaining means. The portion of the rod 11 above its rounded reduced extension is square or rectangular in cross section and passes through a squared opening provided in the body portion of the bit 10. The body portion of the bit preferably comprises an enlarged portion 13 which has a rounded periphery which rests within a rounded depression or pocket 1a provided in one of the sides of the chamber of the draw head. The squared or rectangular portion of the rod 11 passing loosely through the squared or rectangular opening in the body 13 of the bit 10 permits of the lower wall of the bit resting upon the lower wall provided by the pocket 14: and also permits of its faces 10 finding a bearing upon the lower plate 5. The body of the bit is form-ed with a lug 15, the said lug adapted to contact with the inner face of the draw bar adjacent the pocket let, to limit the rotary movement of the rod 11, and as a consequence, the outward sliding movement of the latch 6.

The upwardly proiecting rounded portion of the rod 11, which extends a suitable distance above the draw head, preferably has its end provided with a reduced rectangular portion 16 which is adapted to receive the walls provided by a rectangular opention 16 ol of a cotter pin 18 wlnch passes through a suitable opening in the portion 16, but,

of course, other sustaining means may be employed if desired. The finger 17 is thus arranged at a right angle to the rod 11, and the said finger has its free end or portion formed with a plurality of slots or openings 19, any one of which being adapted to receive one of the offset ends 20 of an operating lever 91, the said lever being journaled in suitable bearings 22 provided upon the end of the car, and the second offset end of the lever is disposed only a slight distance from one of the sides of the car, and provides a handle which has its end formed with a weight 24-.

lVith a construction as above described. and with the parts arranged as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be noted that when the handle 23 is raised the member 20 of the lever 21 will swing the linger 17 to rotate the rod 11, causing the bit 10 thereof to slide the latch U inwardly of the draw bar, and so release the knuckle 3, it being understood. and as previously stated, the side of the latch forms an abutment member for preventing the opening of the knuckle by contacting with the end of the tail 4. After the knuckle has been swung to its open posi tion, and the handle is released, the weight 2t will again swing the operating lever to rotate the finger 17 and as a consequence the rod 11 and return the latch 6 to its initial engaging position, the spring 8 materially aiding in such arrangement of parts, and when the open knuckle is contacted by the knuckle of a co-acting draw head, the force of such contact will. swing the knuckle to force the inner rounded edge of the tail at into contact with the rounded end 7 of the latch 6, and as a consequence, slide the latch rearwardly. This movement compresses the spring 8 as well as swinging the weighted end of the operating lever 21, and after the knuckles are brought to looking position. the tension of the spring (5, as well as the pressure exerted by the downward movement of the weighted handle of the operating lever will cause the rod 11 to revolve and return the latch to its normal locking position, bringing the said latch into engagement with the straight end of the tail of the knuckle.

In instances I have found it desirable to operate the latch automatically, and so I tap one of the air reservoirs of the pneumatic brake system and connect a pipe thereto which leads to an auxiliary reservoir A, the same being provided with a suitable piston B which cooperates with the finger 17, and I provide the connecting pipe with a suitable valve C which has suitable connecting rods which may lead directly to the cab of the engine, and when desired, the coupler may be operated by the engineer or by the fireman of the engine. I have also found it desirable, if not an absolute necessity, to provide means whereby the knuckle will be sustained at a proper angle to receive the co-acting knuckle of the co-acting draw head, as well as to provide a buffer which will absorb the force of contact between the said knuckles which not infrequently results in the breakage of or injury to the tails of the knuckles or to other portions of the draw heads, as well as to prevent the inward swinging of the knuckle by mischievous or malicious persons. I therefore provide between the inner wall of the tail and the wall of the draw head to which the knuckle is pivoted, a compressible element in the nature of an elastic or resilientmember, such as is designated by the numeral 26. The member 25 may be mounted within suitable pockets or depressions provided either in the knuckle or in the wall of the draw head, or in both the knuckle and the draw head.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the simplicity of the device as well as the advantages thereof will, it is thought, be perfectly apparent to those skilled in the art to which such inventions appertain without further detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

In a car coupler, a draw head having a pivoted knuckle formed with a tail, spaced bars within the draw head, a slidable latch arranged between the bars, a rotatable member journaled within the draw head and projecting thereabove, a bit removably connected with the said member and adapted to bear upon one of the bars and to co-actually engage with the sliding latch, and operating means arranged upon the end of the rotatable member projecting above the draw bar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY B. REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

WM. J. Konn'ri-r, BURNETT S. JoNEs.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

